Do you have self-control?
Think about the potato chips you munched on knowing full well that it’s a bag of empty calories and you’re trying to eat healthier. Did you try to resist the chips?
We’re constantly bombarded with tests of our self-control ranging from food to not losing our temper due to traffic.
To be completely honest, it’s very difficult to be in control 100 percent of the time and even the most patient is bound to crack and lose it.
On the other hand, being too trigger happy and going through with any and all of your impulses will lose you a lot of money and even friends along the way.
Giving in too easily to temptation could also keep you from achieving your goals as well.
For example, you want to lose weight for your upcoming wedding and have drawn up a workout plan along with a diet plan where you’ve cut out unhealthy snacks and drinks. You do well in your first week, eating and drinking healthily while following your exercise plans perfectly but on the eighth day, you see a bag of potato chips in your pantry and next thing you know, you’ve wolfed the whole bag down. This is actually a minor setback but for some, it could create a lot of self-guilt and feelings of failure which could hinder them from achieving their final goals. Some may even give up at this point and refuse to go forward with their plans because they aren’t able to get past the guilt.
Thus, having self-control is important but there needs to also be a measure of flexibility. Try these strategies the next time you feel like you’re losing control.
Meditating machine
Taking five minutes out of your day to focus on just your breathing and what you sense could help improve your self-awareness and ability to resist impulsive behaviour. Meditating could help calm your thoughts and help you resist certain impulses.
Eat regularly
This sounds a bit strange especially if you’re trying to control your eating habits but hear us out. Our brain burns a lot of glucose when it is trying to control your impulses so it makes sense that when our blood sugar is low, we’re more likely to gorge on sugary foods. Eating sugary foods will cause a spike in your blood sugar but afterwards, the crash will leave you even more tired.
Eating food that provides slow release energy such as oats, brown rice or protein such as meat and tofu will keep you satiated for longer and keep your cravings at bay.
Get moving
Exercising for 10 minutes causes the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that inhibits excitability in the nervous system. Additionally, it also helps regulate anxiety. The next time you feel like letting someone have it in the office, go for a 10-minute walk to shake off that impulse. Try taking deep, calming breaths as well to help with your anger.
Getting enough sleep
As mentioned before, our brain burns a lot of glucose when trying to exert self-control. When we’re tired or even sleep-deprived, our brain’s ability to absorb glucose is impaired and this could make you crave sugary things to bring up your low blood sugar levels. Thus, getting enough sleep every night is one of the easiest things to do to help with your self-control.
Just roll with it
Sometimes, all it takes is for you to just grit your teeth and wait for the impulse to go away. Before devouring that bag of potato chips, wait at least 10 minutes and usually, the desire will become less powerful, making it easier to put down the bag of chips and walk away.
It’s not the end of the world
So you failed to control an impulse and perhaps ate a whole cake while on a diet. Usually, feelings of self-loathing and disgust would ensue, and this could lead to spiralling behaviour. Forgiving yourself is integral especially when you slip up but most importantly, move on and keep improving yourself to achieve your goals.
References: Forbes.com
